Hello everyone. It is time to get ready for the summer. After this winter, I am sure you are ready for warn summer nights. I know I am. Listed below are the events that will be happening in the skies above our heads this summer.
Probably the best way to keep up to date on astronomical events would be to join the UMPI/Aroostook County Astronomy Club’s Facebook page. This page will provide you with interesting astronomy articles and information on upcoming astronomical events and club activities.
If you are in the area, please feel free to join us. Here are the planned dates and times for our meetings during the summer. The meeting locations will vary, but will be posted on the Facebook page.
Saturday, June 3, 8 p.m., Topic–A close look at Venus.
Saturday, July 1, 8:30 p.m., Topic–The Moon Landing.
Saturday, July 29, 8 p.m., Topic–Review of the August 21 Solar Eclipse.
Friday, August 11, 7:30 p.m., Topic–Observing the Perseid Meteor Shower.
For more information on the UMPI Astronomy Club or the Aroostook County Astronomy Club, join our Facebook page “Aroostook County Astronomy Club”
Perhaps the biggest event of this summer will be the solar eclipse that will occur on August 21. Unfortunately, it will not be visible in Maine. The path of the eclipse will have the shadow of the moon enter the United States in Oregon and exit it in South Carolina. If you have the ability to travel, do it. It will be worth the trip.
Many people are making plans now and picking spots to observe the eclipse. The best advice would be to wait a little bit. You will have difficulties finding a hotel room, but August usually brings thunderstorms throughout most of the U.S., so you can’t really be sure where you will be able to see the eclipse. For more information on the eclipse go to https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/
Throughout the summer the International Space Station (ISS) will be passing near many bright stars and planets. These occurrences are always interesting to watch because they usually help identify the ISS or the object. This big listing below shows all of these passes. Below are the close passes with the moon and planets. Also worth noting is August 11 when the ISS may actually eclipse the bright star Antares in the constellation of Scorpius.
05/25 21:26 ISS passes 0.45 degrees from Jupiter.
06/05 22:58 ISS passes 0.7 degrees from the Moon.
07/11 02:38 ISS will cross the face of the Moon.
07/24 20:43 ISS passes 0.6 degrees from Saturn.
08/11 20:53 ISS may pass over or just miss Antares (Alpha Scorpius).
Every August the Perseid meteor shower occurs. Typically, this is one of the best meteor showers of the year to watch. Upwards of 50 meteors an hour may be seen at the shower’s peak and the shower happens when it is warm and comfortable outside. Grab a comfortable chair, look toward the northeast and look up into the sky. Start watching the meteor shower on or around August 9 and continue watching until August 16.
The night sky over Aroostook County
The International Space Station is visible as follows:
ISS visible in the morning sky from May 5 through June 2.
ISS visible in the evening sky from May 21 through June 11.
ISS visible in the morning sky from July 6 through July 28.
ISS visible in the evening sky from July 21 through August 14.
For the times of other events, go to www.calsky.com. You will need to register at this site and load your location to be able to get exact times. The University of Maine at Presque Isle is located at 68d00m7.8s west longitude and 46d40m45.6s north latitude.
To get a free sky chart go to www.skymaps.com.
Upcoming events
05/02 22:46 First Quarter Moon.
05/05 07:52 Northern spring begins on Mars.
05/06 09:30 Mercury at aphelion–farthest from the sun (69.8 million km/43.4 million miles).
05/07 19:27 Mercury 2.2 degrees from Uranus.
05/07 20:06 Moon 1.9 degrees from Jupiter.
05/09 04:00 ISS passes 0.5 degrees from Altair (Alpha Aquila).
05/10 01:20 Mercury 2.4 degrees from Uranus.
05/10 17:42 Full Moon.
05/12 15:37 Moon at apogee–farthest from the Earth (406,210 kms/252407 miles).
05/13 23:12 Moon 3.5 degrees from Saturn.
05/14 01:16 ISS passes 1.13 degrees from the moon.
05/17 19:24 Mercury at greatest western elongation–25.8 degrees west–visible in the morning sky.
05/18 20:32 Last Quarter Moon.
05/22 11:24 Moon 2.5 degrees from Venus.
05/23 10:48 Mercury at half phase.
05/24 03:49 ISS passes 0.5 degrees from Arcturus (Alpha Bootees).
05/24 04:12 Moon 4.6 degrees from Mercury.
05/24 23:00 Summer begins in the northern hemisphere of Saturn.
05/25 15:44 New Moon.
05/25 21:14 Moon at Perigee–closest to the Earth (357,209 kms/221,959 miles).
05/25 21:26 ISS passes 0.45 degrees from Jupiter.
05/26 21:00 Moon 6.3 degrees from Mars.
05/31 19:15 ISS passes 1.25 degrees from the moon.
06/01 08:42 First Quarter Moon.
06/03 03:32 Venus 1.7 degrees from Uranus.
06/03 20:00 UMPI/Aroostook County Astronomy Club Meeting–See Facebook account FMI.
06/03 08:30 Venus at greatest western elongation–45.9 degrees–visible in the morning sky.
06/03 21:48 Moon 1.5 degrees from Jupiter.
06/04 02:12 Venus at half phase.
06/05 21:22 ISS passes 0.4 degrees from Vega (Alpha Lyra).
06/05 22:58 ISS passes 0.7 degrees from the moon.
06/08 18:05 Moon at Apogee–farthest from the Earth (406,401 kms/250,661 miles).
06/09 09:09 Full Moon.
06/09 21:06 Moon 2.4 degrees from Saturn.
06/12 17:12 Venus at Aphelion–farthest from the sun (108.9 million kms/67.7 million miles).
06/15 06:00 Saturn at opposition–directly behind the Earth.
06/16 04:38 Earliest sunrise of the year.
06/17 07:32 Last Quarter Moon.
06/19 09:12 Mercury at Perihelion–closest to the sun (46 million km/28.6 million miles).
06/21 10:12 Mercury in superior conjunction with the sun–other side of the sun.
06/21 03:06 Moon 6.3 degrees from Venus.
06/23 06:45 Moon at perigee–closest to the Earth (357,937 kms/222,411 miles).
06/23 22:30 New Moon.
06/26 20:29 Latest sunset of the year.
06/28 15:50 Mercury 0.8 degrees from Mars.
06/30 20:51 First Quarter Moon.
06/30 23:54 Moon 3.5 degrees from Jupiter.
07/01 20:30 UMPI/Aroostook County Astronomy Club Meeting–See Facebook account FMI.
07/03 16:11 Earth at aphelion–farthest from the sun (152,092,797 kms/94,505,901 miles).
07/06 00:17 Moon at apogee–farthest from the Earth (405,932 kms/252,234 miles).
07/06 24:00 Moon 2.2 degrees from Saturn.
07/09 00:06 Full Moon.
07/11 02:38 ISS will cross the face of the moon
07/14 03:15 ISS passes 0.1 degrees from Capella (Alpha Auriga).
07/16 15:25 Last Quarter Moon.
07/17 03:50 ISS passes 0.7 degrees from Elnath/Al Nath (Beta Taurus).
07/18 02:56 ISS passes 1.0 degrees from Capella (Alpha Auriga).
07/20 08:06 Moon 3.3 degrees from Venus.
07/21 13:04 Moon at Perigee–closest to the Earth (361,236 kms/224,461 miles).
07/23 03:19 ISS passes 0.6 degrees from Deneb (Alpha Cygnus).
07/23 05:45 New Moon.
07/24 20:43 ISS passes 0.6 degrees from Saturn.
07/24 20:48 Moon 5.0 degrees from Mercury.
07/25 03:10 ISS passes 1.3 drees from Altair (Alpha Aquila).
07/25 21/27 ISS passes 0.1 degrees from Vega (Alpha Lyra).
07/26 20:57 Mars in conjunction with the sun–opposite side of the sun.
07/27 19:30 Mercury at half phase.
07/28 20:24 Moon 2.3 degrees from Jupiter.
07/29 20:00 UMPI/Aroostook County Astronomy Club Meeting–See Facebook account FMI. 07/30 00:36 Mercury at greatest eastern elongation (27.2 degrees east) visible in the evening sky.
07/30 11:23 First Quarter Moon.
08/02 08:48 Mercury at aphelion–farthest from the sun (69.8 million kms/43.4 million miles).
08/02 13:49 Moon at apogee–farthest from the Earth (405,024 kms/251,670 miles).
08/03 00:42 Moon 3.3 degrees from Saturn.
08/07 14:10 Full Moon.
08/08 04:00 Perseid Meteor Shower–6 meteors per hour.
08/09 04:00 Perseid Meteor Shower–9 meteors per hour.
08/10 04:00 Perseid Meteor Shower–15 meteors per hour.
08/11 04:00 Perseid Meteor Shower–27 meteors per hour.
08/11 19:30 UMPI/Aroostook County Astronomy Club Meeting–See Facebook account FMI.
08/11 20:53 ISS may pass over or just miss Antares (Alpha Scorpius).
08/12 04:00 Perseid Meteor Shower–49 meteors per hour.
08/12 20:00 Perseid Meteor Shower Maximum.
08/13 04:00 Perseid Meteor Shower–54 meteors per hour.
08/14 04:00 Perseid Meteor Shower–32 meteors per hour.
08/15 04:00 Perseid Meteor Shower–17 meteors per hour.
08/16 04:00 Perseid Meteor Shower–10 meteors per hour.
08/17 04:00 Perseid Meteor Shower–6 meteors per hour.
08/18 09:10 Moon at perigee–closest to the Earth (366,127 kms/227,500 miles).
08/19 03:18 Moon 3.7 degrees from Venus.
08/21 05:06 Moon 4.2 degrees from Mars.
08/21 14:30 New Moon.
08/26 16:42 Mercury in inferior conjunction–between the Earth and the sun.
08/26 19:30 UMPI/Aroostook County Astronomy Club Meeting–See Facebook account FMI. 08/29 04:13 First Quarter Moon.
08/30 07:22 Moon at apogee–farthest from the Earth (404,341 kms/251,223 miles).
08/30 19:48 Moon 5.2 degrees from Saturn.
